Peds, Ugali, and Monkeys

The first week in Eldoret has come and gone. I began clinical work at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in earnest last Tuesday on the pediatrics ward. I have a really great team of Kenyan staff, residents, medical students, clinical officers (similar to our physician assistants and nurse practitioners), nurses, dietitians, and therapists. Between staff and students, our team often became as large as twenty people! Needless to say, it was often difficult to hear and appreciate what was going on with each patient with such a large team in confined spaces. However, our staff (called "consultants" here) have been great interactive teachers.



The students have all arrived and four of us are staying at the med student hostel across the street from MTRH. It is nice to be so close to the wards. There are also quite a few residents and fellows rotating here right now from the U.S. (from Rhode Island, Utah, and Oregon). On Friday, we had a get-together at the IU House. We had a goat for the feast (thankfully, I did not have to do the honors of killing it this time), much music, and ugali, a corn-based favorite Kenyan dish.

Here is photo of the med student hostel where we are staying:






A big group of us just returned this afternoon from a rainforest further south and west from Eldoret, called Kakamega National Forest Preserve. We saw a lot of monkeys, colorful birds, and incredible trees. I hope to get some pictures up soon. We stayed in very nice cabins at one of the forest's retreat centers, where we enjoyed some delicious meals and times together. A highlight for me was doing a late afternoon hike to a local peak yesterday and watching the sun set over the Kenya/Ugandan border.

We also had the chance to explore an old gold mine, which is now abandoned and the home of many bats. It was definitely an interesting experience seeing these bats so close up and having them fly around and brush your head!







Tomorrow we hit the wards again. We are seeing a lot of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV-associated illnesses. I am looking forward to learning much more.





(From one of the highest peaks with Kakamega Rainforest)